A Love Untouched
by decambrem
Summary: Jax and Tara get their happy ending, but how? TBH, I can't go into great detail w/o giving it all away, but for the most part season 7 stays true, but Tara and Jax do not die. They find a way to leave. Gemma's TRUE character is revealed to everyone, but Tara doesn't die in order for that to happen. Just Trust Me on this. The premise is a beautiful ending for our favorite couple.
1. Chapter 1

For most of his life Jax would wake from his sleep in fear, he would always have to let his eyes examine his surroundings in order to find a faint moment of relief. It took two years after leaving Charming to shake that soul-crushing way to wake from his slumber. Now a full nine years after leaving Charming he wakes slowly and more than that he wakes peacefully with a gentle smile to hear Tara's slight snores sounding from her place on his chest. Jax opened his eyes to slight darkness; the fireplace left on throughout the night now illuminated the massive master bedroom in a hue of orange painting the red oak wood lining the walls.

He brought his left hand to his face to wipe the sleep from his eyes, the small movement jostled Tara, causing her to snuggle her head deeper into her husband's chest. Her left hand instinctively went to his side to hug his body closer to hers. Jax turned his head to the right to examine the hand that had just grabbed onto to his right side. Her engagement ring and now currently matching wedding band embellished the beautiful hand that lay over his tattoo of their six year old daughter's name, Grace. A matching one adorned his left side, Lexie. His dark haired twin daughters were now the light of his life.

Looking back nine years ago he could have never imagined he would be living the life he now had. It almost seemed like happiness was underserving to him, some days he still feels that way.

A three story house in Colorado, nine bedrooms, a barn, four dogs, a cat, two horses and a couple of chickens in their barn out back.

Hell if someone came to him and told him the day Abel was born fourteen years ago that he would be living a debt free life, without the need to ever work in his life ever again, he would've died of laughter. But somehow it happened. Somehow in his bank account lies 14.9 million dollars, somehow Tara woke up after a month and a half; and somehow the club didn't vote mayhem. He had no idea what God saw in him to give him a second chance hell at this point it felt like a fifteenth chance, but this one he would never take it for granted.

Jax looked over at the clock, 8:21.

A smile spread on Jax's face, he knew the routine by now. Abel and Thomas used to do it as a family tradition, but now that they're older they tend to not run into their parents room the way he knew the 'munchkins' were about. Little patters down the hall could be heard. As they got louder, Tara let out a groan.

"Here come the munchkins."

Jax laughed, "Morning to you to babe."

The door burst open to identical six year old twins shouting to their parents as they jumped up and down on the bed.

"Merry Christmas!"

Nine Years Ago

As Eli made a left turn onto Jax and Tara's street he made a quick glance to the clock on the dashboard.

5:36

He turned to watch Tara nervously fidget with her hands as she looked up at her house.

"Never thought you were ever coming back here did you?"

Startled out of her thoughts, she gave a slight chuckle and muttered a quiet no.

Eli climbed out of the car to grab Tara's suitcase, as he and Tara made their way to the driveway both looked up to appraise Unser's pick up.

"Unser here?"

Tara looked back at him, "Not sure."

She reached into her purse with a bit of confusion weighing on her as to why Wayne was at the house, but Eli once again disturbed her inner musings.

"I'm, uh, glad it turned out this way Tara."

She slowly turned to Eli to cast him a melancholy look.

"I know it's still a sad day for you and your family, but it's the right thing."

For the lack of any appropriate words, she gave a slight nod which accompanied two more small and quiet monosyllabic words. With a heavy sigh she turned to the door to unlock it.

The first thing she smelled before she entered the house was the strong overpowering smell of bleach. She opened the door to further allow Eli to enter.

As she walked into the house she called out to Wayne to only receive silence, she spun on her heel and with a look at Eli she shrugged her shoulders.

"He must be helping Jax."

Both nodded at each other in silent agreement.

"Well okay, Patterson will be here in about 20 or 30. I'll just wait outside."

"Okay, I'll bring you out something cool to drink."

With a nod he turned to the door, but Tara's hand on his elbow gave him pause.

She opened the palms of her hand and followed up with an appreciative smile.

"Thank you."

With a smile and nod he also touched her elbow with a complete understanding of her 'thank you'.

A month ago he helped escort her out of that house in cuffs and now he's returning her in one peace. The moment was not lost on either one of them.

As he turned to leave, she told him that she would be right out with a cup of some lemonade from the fridge.

Tara walked into the kitchen, placing her purse and keys down on the kitchen table on her way to the fridge. She opened up the fridge and as she bent over, her back faced the laundry room where Gemma watched Tara.

As Tara shifted the milk cartoon out of her way to grab the pitcher of lemonade she heard steps from behind. She pulled the pitcher out and called out Wayne's name. Gemma smiled when she heard Tara call out Wayne's name, her oblivious state would work in her advantage.

With an apology at the ready for pulling a gun on him, she turned in amusement but before she could see who she was really talking to, Gemma, with iron in hand, grabbed Tara by the collar and slammed her face in with the iron. Tara dropped the pitcher from the shock of the blow but used the momentum to push back. As Tara tried to turn and get the upper hand Gemma swung the iron straight into her abdomen as hard as she could. Much to her frustration though Tara was still standing, so Gemma used her body and pushed Tara's head straight into the kitchen sink filled with water and bleach to drown her. In panic and fear, she gripped the kitchen counter and started to push backwards. Gemma instantly felt Tara fighting back and started to slam the iron down on Tara's head repeatedly as she tried to drown her. Blood oozed from her head, as her skull split open turning the water red. Tara kicked her feet out to try and knock her attackers' out from under them. The moment Tara's foot collided with her shin; Gemma dropped the iron in pain. Tara pulled her head from the water trying to get fresh air back into her lungs. Her eyes and nose burned from the bleach, the combination from the blows to the back of her head left her disoriented.

The moment Gemma saw Tara pull her head out of the water, anger and hatred took over. Every bit of hatred Gemma ever had for Tara, every bit of jealously and resentment seeped from her pores. She saw the craving fork out the corner of her eye the moment Tara turned her body to see how was attacking her, before Tara had a chance though Gemma grabbed the fork, forcefully pushing Tara back underwater and jammed the fork into the back of her head. The moment the fork pierced her skull, Tara lost consciousness. Her entire body went slack and slid to the floor taking the entire dish rack with her before Gemma had the chance to stab her again in the head.

**Outside The House**

Roosevelt stood by the driver side of his truck, as he heard the roar of a motorcycle engine. As the motorcycle approached it drowned out the sound of the lemonade pitcher careening to the floor. Juice pulled into the driveway, and lazily took his helmet off.

Eli looked at him in question.

"I'm looking for Gemma."

With a shake of his head, "She's not here, I just dropped off Tara."

A nanosecond after revealing to Eli that Gemma took Unser's truck the sound of the dishes from the dish rack hitting the floor echoed from inside the house.

Fear and shock took over Eli as he ran up the driveway.

He could hear Gemma chanting over and over, 'has to be done' before his eyes could take in the gruesome picture.

Gemma kneeled over Tara's body stabbing her body with the deadly craving fork. Eli ran over to push Gemma off of her body. He instantly looked to find a pulse, finding nothing he took to his feet.

"Oh my god."

In the background Gemma kept repeating has to be done.

Eli looks around and sees the trashed kitchen. The iron covered in Tara's blood, the lemonade mingled with the blood, water and bleach all now surrounded him. Horror was the only thing that came over him when he looked at the kitchen sink filled with her blood. Blood even reached all the way into the laundry room.

"What did you do?"

"_She_ did this….._she_ did this. _She_ made a deal. _She_ betrayed him."

Hearing reference to Jax tore at his heart. Knowing the information he had killed him.

"Tara didn't rat Gemma. Jax gave himself up to _protect_ _her_. To keep her _safe._"

Looking at Gemma with clear disgust he grabbed his radio to call it in.

He pressed his 'call' button at the side of the receiver.

"We got a –"

The sound of a gunshot had Gemma look up. She watched at Eli's body collapsed to floor. A hole through the center of his forehead now adorned his head. In fear she looked at his killer.

Juice stood there and surveyed the deaths that surrounded them. Him holding the one of the murder weapons in his right hand, Gemma holding hers in her right to.

Taking in Tara's body, blood pooling all around her body, from head to toe, he stared at Gemma.

After five short seconds, Juice reached out to Gemma and helped to pick her up off the floor.

Sobs started to wrack her body as she leaned into him. Juice turned to the stove and saw that it was 5:41. He knew Jax and Patterson would arrive in at least fifteen minutes.

"We need to get out of here. It's dark out so we should be good. Go and get in the Unser's truck and get out of here, I'll get rid of the iron and fork."

"Okay."

Gemma started to walk towards the door.

Without turning her body, "Jax can never know this was me. Who can I put this on? I'm gonna need a story."

Juice turned, "Head over to your place take a shower, and I'll meet you there. I'll get your clothes and I'll get rid of everything. We'll come up with a story there. Just do your best to stay out of sight."

Gemma left the house making sure not to touch anything. As Juice heard Unser's truck startup he bent down to pick up the fork and iron covered in her blood. The lingering smell of bleach gave him confidence that the entire crime scene was corrupted, but to be sure he picked up a cup from off the floor and collected some blood filled bleach-water from the sink and doused Tara's body. Her shoes, her legs, abdomen, and face were now covered in blood and bleach.

As juice was leaving he saw bloody boot prints leading to the door and staining the carpet so he gathered more bloody bleach and poured it over the foot prints and carpet leading to the door. Fear that Gemma had tracked more outside was put to rest when he saw no blood on the front steps of the house. He gave one last look in the kitchen and whispered a sorry before closing the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Tara couldn't see anything. She couldn't think. She couldn't even feel the pain she knew deep down she should be in.

Voices from outside her head seemed to have made their way in to echo on the inside, footsteps sounding on the floor reverberated all the way to her body. All of a sudden something wet was being poured onto her lower body, it trailed higher and higher. Fear started to mount inside of her as it hit her face, her brain screamed for her to get up, but she just couldn't. Not even pain was something she could register.

While laying on her kitchen floor she only knew one thing Gemma was the one who attacked her from behind.

It felt like an eternity passed from between the time someone drenched her to when she heard the telltale sound of her front door shutting because when that happen a dull ache in her stomach started to take root.

It all started as a simple tingle, but then slowly it turned to an undeniable pain shooting from her feet to her fingertips. The pain began to swell to an unimaginable level.

Tara's eyes shot wide open. They darted left to right, trying to catch sight of something or someone to help her. Her first instinct was to yell for help, but when she opened her mouth only tortured gurgles could slip through. When she realized her voice was going to pose nothing for assistance, she realized she had to do this herself.

She struggled to roll over, but the several stab wounds to her stomach were impeding that fight. Despite that she wouldn't give in. Her arms shook like leaves in the wind, her knees trembled uncontrollably. On top of the pain from the back of her head and stomach, it was an even bigger fight to keep her eyes open; the bleach burned her throat, nose and eyes. Water clogged her ears, bleach filled her sinuses. Tara tried to push up from her knees to get to her feet, but just as she almost got there an even sicker feeling rose to her throat. Her gag reflex clenched and Tara knew in her mind what was about to happen. Bright red blood spewed straight from her mouth and onto to the floor.

With the sight of a puddle of blood on the floor next to her hopelessness started to sink in and the moment it did the first thing that came to her mind was her three boys. The pain became so overwhelming that she just couldn't stand to stay on all fours; she doubled over and collapsed back on the floor.

Abel, Thomas and Jax flashed in her mind and tears streamed down her face. Sobs began to wrack her body and the more she tried to scream out, more blood seeped from her lips. The amount was terrifying not just because the blood was causing her to choke, but because of her medical knowledge behind what this all meant. Tara didn't know the extent of the damage done to her brain, she figured she must have brain contusions, but what was going to kill her was blood loss from puncture wounds.

Her eyes once again slipped closed and once they did the faces that flashed behind her eyes were that of three people she loved the most. Her world. She just couldn't give in like this. She couldn't. She thought of the sacrifice Jax had just made for their family and she just couldn't give in like this. Not like this. Not after everything they had gone through.

When Tara's eyes open this time around, a new fire flashed through them. She brought her right hand to her blood covered neck to check her pulse; she was hypotensive, which in most cases would be detrimental but she could use in to her advantage. She brought that bloody hand to the dishwasher to try to get a grip to pull herself to her feet, but that caused too much strain to her abdominal injuries leading to sharp pangs of pain to cause her vomit up more blood. Her eyes darted to the left and saw Roosevelt's body and sadness overtook her to know that he now lay dead next to her, but a determination also set over her. She refused to become him. Her eyes darted all over the floor looking for anything to help her, her gaze moved quickly over a steak knife that was on the floor from the dish drainer. As soon as she saw it, an idea hit her.

She dug her boots into the floor to gain traction, sliding blood, water, bleach, lemonade, and glass all over the floor. A bloody trail was left behind her as stretched her left hand out. Tara grabbed the hilt of the knife and fear of what she had to do to herself started boil up. She rolled to her side and her forehead touched the cold wet floor. She began to bang her hand over and over and over as way to build up the courage to get this done.

She squeezed her eyes shut and swung down with the knife to the upper part of her thigh making sure to avoid any major arteries. The pain was unbearable, but the shock of the stab released everything she needed.

Endorphins and adrenaline rushed all throughout her body. It didn't take too long, but Tara took to her feet and instantly spotted Roosevelt's radio. She stumbled towards it, and bent over to pick it up. A little green display on the front read 5:49. Tara found the knob on the corner and pressed in.

The telltale crackling of the radio picking up a signal came through the speakers.

A small help slipped through her mouth into the receiver.

A crackling filtered through.

"Sheriff Roosevelt?"

Tara began to feel light headed and she could feel herself loosing balance.

"Help, I need an ambulance quickly. Please, it's Tara Knowles. Roosevelt's dead. Please help me."

Tara's knees began to shake; she turned to catch the kitchen counter. As she did that though, her vision doubled, Tara stretched out to grab the counter before she fell. Tara could hear the crackling of the radio once again asking her questions but the voice trailed off inside her mind. Tara tripped over her feet, careening her head straight into the edge of the countertop, causing the skin on her forehead to split open and the back of head smacked straight to the kitchen floor.

Tara had landed right back into the same position as she was before. Except her neck, hands and forehead were now covered in blood and a small steak knife stuck out of her thigh. Roosevelt's radio had bounced when she dropped it, landing right next to his body. Bloody handprints were all over the dishwasher and cabinet. Little did Tara know that the new blow to her head is what would end up saving her life. Her blood pressure dropped to nothing and then she fell into a vegetation state due to her traumatic brain injuries. The vegetative state slowed down heart rate, subsequently slowing down the blood loss.


	3. Chapter 3

As Jax came closer to his home, he initially thought a great sadness would overwhelm him, but surprisingly the only thing he could feel was peace. He and Tara have been so estranged for weeks now, knowing that they were finally on the same page; regardless the circumstances felt like true peace in his heart. Hearing her finally say those three words he coveted more than anything after so long felt like home. His thoughts drifted to the time they spent in the motel room and unconsciously his hand accelerated the bike. Connecting to Tara once again was the only thing he wanted for so long, to know she stilled loved him brought him happiness. In a weird way, Jax felt like everything was coming full circle in his mind. Deep down whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, he always viewed the love they had as his only light. His redemption for the pain he's caused and blood he's spilled.

Jax made the same left Roosevelt took just seventeen minutes ago; drove past the Sheriff truck and made a sharp right into his driveway. He figured Tara and Roosevelt were inside, as he walked up the front steps the smell of bleach permeated through the door. He knew Tara wouldn't have locked the door, so he just came in. A small smile came over him, due to the familiarity of their routine continuing as called out babe. He took his kutte and jacket off in one fell swoop and hooked them up on the wall. Worry washed over him as he looked down the hallway when he didn't hear a response, he turned to kitchen and as he did he caught sight of blood on the carpet and on the kitchen floor leading up to it.

Instinct had Jax reaching for his gun, he clenched and unclenched the gun in his hand gearing up just in case, but nothing could've prepared him for stepping into his kitchen.

His eyes widened in shock from what he saw. Tara's body was covered in blood from head to toe, her tank top was shredded, a knife was coming out of her thigh and blood in the shape of hands were all over the cabinet, dishwasher and floor. It was an actual puddle of her own blood he saw the love of his life laying in.

Pain paralyzed him and kept him rooted to that spot, but hope that she was still alive had him taking three more steps. The closer he got the more his body began to tremble, sobs slipped through his lips. As he got near, the sight of their kitchen sink filled with what he knew was her blood churned his stomach, he dropped the gun and he choke out a gut wrenching sob. He stepped back in horror as he saw the blood around her head in a halo; his foot kicked the lemonade pitcher as he collapsed to his knees. His entire face was red, and hot tears burned down his face. He crawled to Tara's side while whispering his favorite term of endearment, 'babe' over and over.

"Tara no. Please God, no."

He sat in her blood as he picked her body up to cradle her in between his legs. Blood stained his shoes, his jeans and his pristine white t-shirt. Tears dropped from his eyes to trail down Tara's cheeks to mingle with the dry blood on her face. His tears gave new life to the blood and it began to stain a trail down her neck.

His gaze went down to her stomach and sobs wracked his entire body. His shoulders shook as he dug his head into her chest. He saw stab wounds through her shirt, Jax clutched her body to his, crying out in despair.

He cradled her chin in his hand and bent over to press his lips to her. Jax honestly had no idea what this kiss meant, whether it was a last ditch effort to bring his love back to him like in fairytales or if it was his goodbye. He had no idea what he had hoped to have happened, but all he knew was that her lips didn't join his to kiss him back. His hands and lips trembled uncontrollably in sadness.

It hurt to speak, but he knew this was his fault and he had to apologize.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

A gut wrenching wail that ripped from his gut and heart filled the open air of the bloodbath around him.

Loud sirens sounded from outside. Paramedics and police officers filled their front yard. Cane and Eglee lead the paramedics in with their guns drawn. No one knew what to suspect, all they got from the radio was that their Sheriff was dead and Tara Knowles needed an ambulance. They saw Jax's bike outside, not knowing what to expect they cautiously went up the steps, but the sound of Jax's cry startled them. Cane and Eglee threw caution to the wind and stormed in.

The scene in front of them left them speechless. Paramedics came in behind them. No one knew what to do. There was blood everywhere, blood literally trailed onto to the carpet. Tara Knowles was in her husband's arms surrounded by blood, the kitchen was trashed the fridge door was open and a steak knife was sticking out of her body. They've never seen SAMCRO's president so destroyed. Ever. Neither one of them knew how to approach this scene. The paramedics however, did.

A male paramedic, whose tag read Robert, approached Roosevelt. The bullet to the head, already spoke true to his death, however, he wasn't sure about Tara.

"Sir, there are things we need to do. With her body."

Jax shook his head and held onto her, resembling a child who didn't want give up his favorite blanket. As he lowered himself to Jax, Patterson walked into the kitchen in complete shock to see the entire scene.

"Wait, try to preserve this. Get him to place the body back."

"All due respect ma'am that's your job, my job is her welfare To confirm."

A female paramedic, name Cristine came in holding a handheld vascular Doppler. It was a pulse rate microphone they used to find life, if there was any doubt. She bent down to Roosevelt and placed the small rounded tube with a microphone attached against his carotid and heard nothing. She looked over at Patterson and shook her head.

Jax vaguely took notice to the people now filling his kitchen, the only thing he knew was that no one was going to take her from him.

Cristine looked over at Jax as she rose from Roosevelt's body and knew exactly what was going on through his head. Robert turned to her, both knew who this man was, and in silence he asked the question of whether she wanted to be the one to do this.

His answer was given when she started to speak to him.

"Mr. Teller, I'm not taking her, but before we got her less than ten minutes ago a dispatcher spoke with her. She radioed in for help, she was alive and talking less than _ten_ minutes ago. What I have in my hand is called a vascular Doppler, it'll allow me to hear blood flow. I'm just going to put it to her carotid."

The whole time she spoke Jax kept his eyes on Tara, he couldn't move from this spot. He saw the paramedic's hand come into view with this plastic covered white microphone connected to a white device in her hand. Cristine pressed the lever on the side of Doppler as she pressed it into Tara's carotid. Silence filled the room and hope filled Jax's heart.

It felt like an eternity, but static came through from the speaker, but then a soft warbled sound came from the amplifier. It was weak but it was there.

"We have a pulse."


End file.
